In the rapidly evolving landscape of autonomous driving, the capability to accurately predict future events and assess their implications is paramount for both safety and efficiency, critically aiding the decision-making process. World models have emerged as a transformative approach, enabling autonomous driving systems to synthesize and interpret vast amounts of sensor data, thereby predicting potential future scenarios and compensating for information gaps. This paper provides an initial review of the current state and prospective advancements of world models in autonomous driving, spanning their theoretical underpinnings, practical applications, and the ongoing research efforts aimed at overcoming existing limitations. Highlighting the significant role of world models in advancing autonomous driving technologies, this survey aspires to serve as a foundational reference for the research community, facilitating swift access to and comprehension of this burgeoning field, and inspiring continued innovation and exploration.
Developing the proper representations for simulating high-speed flows with strong shock waves, rarefactions, and contact discontinuities has been a long-standing question in numerical analysis. Herein, we employ neural operators to solve Riemann problems encountered in compressible flows for extreme pressure jumps (up to $10^{10}$ pressure ratio). In particular, we first consider the DeepONet that we train in a two-stage process, following the recent work of \cite{lee2023training}, wherein the first stage, a basis is extracted from the trunk net, which is orthonormalized and subsequently is used in the second stage in training the branch net. This simple modification of DeepONet has a profound effect on its accuracy, efficiency, and robustness and leads to very accurate solutions to Riemann problems compared to the vanilla version. It also enables us to interpret the results physically as the hierarchical data-driven produced basis reflects all the flow features that would otherwise be introduced using ad hoc feature expansion layers. We also compare the results with another neural operator based on the U-Net for low, intermediate, and very high-pressure ratios that are very accurate for Riemann problems, especially for large pressure ratios, due to their multiscale nature but computationally more expensive. Overall, our study demonstrates that simple neural network architectures, if properly pre-trained, can achieve very accurate solutions of Riemann problems for real-time forecasting. The source code, along with its corresponding data, can be found at the following URL: //github.com/apey236/RiemannONet/tree/main
Despite great improvements in semantic segmentation, challenges persist because of the lack of local/global contexts and the relationship between them. In this paper, we propose Contextrast, a contrastive learning-based semantic segmentation method that allows to capture local/global contexts and comprehend their relationships. Our proposed method comprises two parts: a) contextual contrastive learning (CCL) and b) boundary-aware negative (BANE) sampling. Contextual contrastive learning obtains local/global context from multi-scale feature aggregation and inter/intra-relationship of features for better discrimination capabilities. Meanwhile, BANE sampling selects embedding features along the boundaries of incorrectly predicted regions to employ them as harder negative samples on our contrastive learning, resolving segmentation issues along the boundary region by exploiting fine-grained details. We demonstrate that our Contextrast substantially enhances the performance of semantic segmentation networks, outperforming state-of-the-art contrastive learning approaches on diverse public datasets, e.g. Cityscapes, CamVid, PASCAL-C, COCO-Stuff, and ADE20K, without an increase in computational cost during inference.
Over the past decades, the increase in both frequency and intensity of large-scale wildfires due to climate change has emerged as a significant natural threat. The pressing need to design resilient landscapes capable of withstanding such disasters has become paramount, requiring the development of advanced decision-support tools. Existing methodologies, including Mixed Integer Programming, Stochastic Optimization, and Network Theory, have proven effective but are hindered by computational demands, limiting their applicability. In response to this challenge, we propose using artificial intelligence techniques, specifically Deep Reinforcement Learning, to address the complex problem of firebreak placement in the landscape. We employ value-function based approaches like Deep Q-Learning, Double Deep Q-Learning, and Dueling Double Deep Q-Learning. Utilizing the Cell2Fire fire spread simulator combined with Convolutional Neural Networks, we have successfully implemented a computational agent capable of learning firebreak locations within a forest environment, achieving good results. Furthermore, we incorporate a pre-training loop, initially teaching our agent to mimic a heuristic-based algorithm and observe that it consistently exceeds the performance of these solutions. Our findings underscore the immense potential of Deep Reinforcement Learning for operational research challenges, especially in fire prevention. Our approach demonstrates convergence with highly favorable results in problem instances as large as 40 x 40 cells, marking a significant milestone in applying Reinforcement Learning to this critical issue. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents a pioneering effort in using Reinforcement Learning to address the aforementioned problem, offering promising perspectives in fire prevention and landscape management
Humans localize themselves efficiently in known environments by first recognizing landmarks defined on certain objects and their spatial relationships, and then verifying the location by aligning detailed structures of recognized objects with those in the memory. Inspired by this, we propose the place recognition anywhere model (PRAM) to perform visual localization as efficiently as humans do. PRAM consists of two main components - recognition and registration. In detail, first of all, a self-supervised map-centric landmark definition strategy is adopted, making places in either indoor or outdoor scenes act as unique landmarks. Then, sparse keypoints extracted from images, are utilized as the input to a transformer-based deep neural network for landmark recognition; these keypoints enable PRAM to recognize hundreds of landmarks with high time and memory efficiency. Keypoints along with recognized landmark labels are further used for registration between query images and the 3D landmark map. Different from previous hierarchical methods, PRAM discards global and local descriptors, and reduces over 90% storage. Since PRAM utilizes recognition and landmark-wise verification to replace global reference search and exhaustive matching respectively, it runs 2.4 times faster than prior state-of-the-art approaches. Moreover, PRAM opens new directions for visual localization including multi-modality localization, map-centric feature learning, and hierarchical scene coordinate regression.
Adapting driving behavior to new environments, customs, and laws is a long-standing problem in autonomous driving, precluding the widespread deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs). In this paper, we present LLaDA, a simple yet powerful tool that enables human drivers and autonomous vehicles alike to drive everywhere by adapting their tasks and motion plans to traffic rules in new locations. LLaDA achieves this by leveraging the impressive zero-shot generalizability of large language models (LLMs) in interpreting the traffic rules in the local driver handbook. Through an extensive user study, we show that LLaDA's instructions are useful in disambiguating in-the-wild unexpected situations. We also demonstrate LLaDA's ability to adapt AV motion planning policies in real-world datasets; LLaDA outperforms baseline planning approaches on all our metrics. Please check our website for more details: //boyiliee.github.io/llada.
Connected and autonomous driving is developing rapidly in recent years. However, current autonomous driving systems, which are primarily based on data-driven approaches, exhibit deficiencies in interpretability, generalization, and continuing learning capabilities. In addition, the single-vehicle autonomous driving systems lack of the ability of collaboration and negotiation with other vehicles, which is crucial for the safety and efficiency of autonomous driving systems. In order to address these issues, we leverage large language models (LLMs) to develop a novel framework, AgentsCoDriver, to enable multiple vehicles to conduct collaborative driving. AgentsCoDriver consists of five modules: observation module, reasoning engine, cognitive memory module, reinforcement reflection module, and communication module. It can accumulate knowledge, lessons, and experiences over time by continuously interacting with the environment, thereby making itself capable of lifelong learning. In addition, by leveraging the communication module, different agents can exchange information and realize negotiation and collaboration in complex traffic environments. Extensive experiments are conducted and show the superiority of AgentsCoDriver.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, multimodal learning systems (MMLS) have gained traction for their ability to process and integrate information from diverse modality inputs. Their expanding use in vital sectors such as healthcare has made safety assurance a critical concern. However, the absence of systematic research into their safety is a significant barrier to progress in this field. To bridge the gap, we present the first taxonomy that systematically categorizes and assesses MMLS safety. This taxonomy is structured around four fundamental pillars that are critical to ensuring the safety of MMLS: robustness, alignment, monitoring, and controllability. Leveraging this taxonomy, we review existing methodologies, benchmarks, and the current state of research, while also pinpointing the principal limitations and gaps in knowledge. Finally, we discuss unique challenges in MMLS safety. In illuminating these challenges, we aim to pave the way for future research, proposing potential directions that could lead to significant advancements in the safety protocols of MMLS.
In the rapidly advancing realm of visual generation, diffusion models have revolutionized the landscape, marking a significant shift in capabilities with their impressive text-guided generative functions. However, relying solely on text for conditioning these models does not fully cater to the varied and complex requirements of different applications and scenarios. Acknowledging this shortfall, a variety of studies aim to control pre-trained text-to-image (T2I) models to support novel conditions. In this survey, we undertake a thorough review of the literature on controllable generation with T2I diffusion models, covering both the theoretical foundations and practical advancements in this domain. Our review begins with a brief introduction to the basics of denoising diffusion probabilistic models (DDPMs) and widely used T2I diffusion models. We then reveal the controlling mechanisms of diffusion models, theoretically analyzing how novel conditions are introduced into the denoising process for conditional generation. Additionally, we offer a detailed overview of research in this area, organizing it into distinct categories from the condition perspective: generation with specific conditions, generation with multiple conditions, and universal controllable generation. For an exhaustive list of the controllable generation literature surveyed, please refer to our curated repository at \url{//github.com/PRIV-Creation/Awesome-Controllable-T2I-Diffusion-Models}.
Over the last decade, the use of autonomous drone systems for surveying, search and rescue, or last-mile delivery has increased exponentially. With the rise of these applications comes the need for highly robust, safety-critical algorithms which can operate drones in complex and uncertain environments. Additionally, flying fast enables drones to cover more ground which in turn increases productivity and further strengthens their use case. One proxy for developing algorithms used in high-speed navigation is the task of autonomous drone racing, where researchers program drones to fly through a sequence of gates and avoid obstacles as quickly as possible using onboard sensors and limited computational power. Speeds and accelerations exceed over 80 kph and 4 g respectively, raising significant challenges across perception, planning, control, and state estimation. To achieve maximum performance, systems require real-time algorithms that are robust to motion blur, high dynamic range, model uncertainties, aerodynamic disturbances, and often unpredictable opponents. This survey covers the progression of autonomous drone racing across model-based and learning-based approaches. We provide an overview of the field, its evolution over the years, and conclude with the biggest challenges and open questions to be faced in the future.
The cyber-threat landscape has evolved tremendously in recent years, with new threat variants emerging daily, and large-scale coordinated campaigns becoming more prevalent. In this study, we propose CELEST (CollaborativE LEarning for Scalable Threat detection), a federated machine learning framework for global threat detection over HTTP, which is one of the most commonly used protocols for malware dissemination and communication. CELEST leverages federated learning in order to collaboratively train a global model across multiple clients who keep their data locally, thus providing increased privacy and confidentiality assurances. Through a novel active learning component integrated with the federated learning technique, our system continuously discovers and learns the behavior of new, evolving, and globally-coordinated cyber threats. We show that CELEST is able to expose attacks that are largely invisible to individual organizations. For instance, in one challenging attack scenario with data exfiltration malware, the global model achieves a three-fold increase in Precision-Recall AUC compared to the local model. We deploy CELEST on two university networks and show that it is able to detect the malicious HTTP communication with high precision and low false positive rates. Furthermore, during its deployment, CELEST detected a set of previously unknown 42 malicious URLs and 20 malicious domains in one day, which were confirmed to be malicious by VirusTotal.